PSAC EAST

[Scrub]

Oof--ESU's road is a nightmare. Presumably WCU, IUP, and then a Ship/Mercy winner. Ouch.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Ship wouldn't have to see ESU until the final, and it would be at Heiges if they should get that far. Plus, the Warriors would have to get through IUP first.

With all due respect to the bottom half of the bracket, I see a very clear path for the Raiders to reach the championship game.

Getting past Mercyhurst is a clear path? Good luck.

[jrshooter]

Oof--ESU's road is a nightmare. Presumably WCU, IUP, and then a Ship/Mercy winner. Ouch.

I still believe they're the best team in the East, but they did it to themselves by going limp for two weeks early in the second half.

Getting past Mercyhurst is a clear path? Good luck.

A second meeting would look a lot different from the first. It wouldn't be in Erie, I would suspect Sleva would be playing by then, and the quality of their depth has improved dramatically. (Obviously, my Ship outlook is a lot brighter than it was a few weeks back.)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Oof--ESU's road is a nightmare. Presumably WCU, IUP, and then a Ship/Mercy winner. Ouch.

If ESU runs that gauntlet, it earned the auto bid.

Don't overlook them playing a sporadic Shepherd tomorrow. Never know what you're going to get there. The Rams beat them once this year.

[Scrub]

Getting past Mercyhurst is a clear path? Good luck.

In an article earlier this week, the National D2 reporter (Wayne Whatshisname) listed Hurst as one of his sleeper teams that could surprisingly make the Elite 8. He also had Fairmont on that list.

The Atlantic is a real gauntlet every year. That makes it a lot of fun as a fan, but, man, sometimes I wonder how it would feel to be in the East and just cakewalk your way to the Elite 8 every year.

[IUPHawks24]

In an article earlier this week, the National D2 reporter (Wayne Whatshisname) listed Hurst as one of his sleeper teams that could surprisingly make the Elite 8. He also had Fairmont on that list.

The Atlantic is a real gauntlet every year. That makes it a lot of fun as a fan, but, man, sometimes I wonder how it would feel to be in the East and just cakewalk your way to the Elite 8 every year.

Like last year when West Liberty barely beat Daemen at home? (a team didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament) Or when they got clobbered on the road by the same Daemen team before COVID?

[Ship69]

I still believe they're the best team in the East, but they did it to themselves by going limp for two weeks early in the second half.



A second meeting would look a lot different from the first. It wouldn't be in Erie, I would suspect Sleva would be playing by then, and the quality of their depth has improved dramatically. (Obviously, my Ship outlook is a lot brighter than it was a few weeks back.)

Mercyhurst, heck. They likely have to get past a Millersville team that already has beaten them twice, and I think that's a tall order unless they have Sleva back with at least 85-90 pecent of his normal effectiveness. And a second meeting with Mercyhurst would certainly have to look a whole lot different as they clobbered the Raiders in Erie.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Mercyhurst, heck. They likely have to get past a Millersville team that already has beaten them twice, and I think that's a tall order unless they have Sleva back with at least 85-90 pecent of his normal effectiveness. And a second meeting with Mercyhurst would certainly have to look a whole lot different as they clobbered the Raiders in Erie.

Lot of assumptions about tomorrow night, let alone Wednesday.

Seton Hill at Cal could be interesting. Vulcans may be looking ahead. SH played them tough twice this year despite losing both.

SRU at UPJ ... You'd think UPJ would win at home but SRU is a pest to them (and beat them yesterday). SRU plays a streetball style that seems to offset the methodical UPJ game.

Shep at ESU ... All depends which version of Shepherd shows up. It could be a game. Rams split with them this year.

LH at Ville ... Bald Eagles are due but this appears to be the easiest bet on the board tomorrow.

[Scrub]

Like last year when West Liberty barely beat Daemen at home? (a team didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament) Or when they got clobbered on the road by the same Daemen team before COVID?

Daemen had the premier Center in the country during those years (kinda like the Augusta team that beat IUP last year). Those are once in a generation players--D2 unicorns--that change the landscape of their teams.

But go look at the regional rankings for the East right now and tell me IUP, WLU, Fairmont, Mercy, etc. wouldn't all be #1 in that region right now.

[IUPHawks24]

Daemen had the premier Center in the country during those years (kinda like the Augusta team that beat IUP last year). Those are once in a generation players--D2 unicorns--that change the landscape of their teams.

But go look at the regional rankings for the East right now and tell me IUP, WLU, Fairmont, Mercy, etc. wouldn't all be #1 in that region right now.

I have no idea- there aren't a whole lot of data points. Mercyhurst beat Daemen on the road at the buzzer by 1 (albeit he first game of the year). However, Daemen lost by 20 on the road to Slippery Rock. IUP beat New Haven at home by 5. New Haven came in 4th in the NE-10. Looks like they're 6th in RPI and 4th in the latest RR. That's been IUP's closest game at home all season. So I have no idea how you can argue that West Liberty, IUP, Mercyhurst etc are head and shoulders ahead of the top few teams in the East Region.

[WarriorVoice]

Ship wouldn't have to see ESU until the final, and it would be at Heiges if they should get that far. Plus, the Warriors would have to get through IUP first.

With all due respect to the bottom half of the bracket, I see a very clear path for the Raiders to reach the championship game.

Overlooking Mercyhurst a bit??

[Ship69]

Overlooking Mercyhurst a bit??

That was already pointed out twice. And they have to get by Millersville before they worry about Mercyhurst. That said, there's nothing wrong with optimism.

[IUPalum]

That was already pointed out twice. And they have to get by Millersville before they worry about Mercyhurst. That said, there's nothing wrong with optimism.

So Lock Haven is no factor?

[Ship69]

So Lock Haven is no factor?

Millersville has been playing at a much higher level than Lock Haven in recent weeks. LHU has a puncher's chance if their guards are at 100 percent. Eli Washington had been slowed by an injury, but didn't look too bad against Ship Saturday.

[jrshooter]

Overlooking Mercyhurst a bit??

I think the question of the evening thus far is, overlooking Shepherd a bit??